A Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game
by Craxuan
Summary: Guaranteed to be one of the best Kingdom Hearts Short Story ever.
1. Part One

An Epic Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game(Part 1)

An Epic Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game(Part 1)

It has been a few days since our trio has return to their normal lives. Ever since their bizarre encounter of adventures, things had never been peaceful for them and hardships unending. And still, even now when they have finally defeated Organization XIII, everyone knew that trouble was still brewing somewhere, for the Keyblade remained.

Keyblade. The strongest weapon in the world. A key that could return peace and harmony, as well as wrecking chaos be it the worlds, or hearts. Sora could still remember clearly the pain he felt when he was torn away from his friends. The loneliness without Kairi and Riku beside him, the helplessness when Riku deserted friend for Darkness… Even now he could taste the air of desperation when he received the shocking news of Kairi, kidnapped by Organization XIII.

And all this had happened because of the Keyblade. And he has unfortunately, chosen to be the Keyblade Wielder. If the Keyblade had never appeared, he would never have left Destiny Island, never had to be torn away from Kairi and Riku, never had to fight endlessly just to discover there was more disaster to come, never had to feel more sorrowful and dark in his attempt to save everything…

_And you wouldn't have met us Sora, Uh-hyuk! _Sora immediately snapped out of his thoughts and looked around, bursting, "Goofy? Is Donald with you?" But that was but a mere illusion. The sound of the sea waves. He had heard Goofy's voice deep down within his heart. It was a big disappointment as he sat down, looking the-end-of-the-world. But this has reminded him of something else. Of how much he had gained throughout his adventure. If he hadn't traveled world to world in search of Riku and Kairi, he would never knew Donald and Goofy. Would never have met the ever-grim-looking Leon, playful Yuffie, gruffy Cid, cheeky old Merlin, Thoughtful Aerith, Aladdin, and so many others.

_I would never have met my friends then. The lost is to be lost and the gain is to be gained. I have lost plenty, but I have gained more as well._ He summoned the Kingdom Key to his hands and examined it under the gleaming sunlight. A smile crept onto his face. The Keyblade may be a terrible burden to behold, but it had repaid him with more than he could ever imagined. And that is everything. Although he did wonder grumpily about Donald and Goofy forbidding him from visiting them. They had insisted relentlessly that they should be the ones traveling here instead of him and the others going to Disney Castle…

_WAAK! You're not coming to Disney Castle without anyone proficient enough to pilot the vessel! Fly here with you piloting and you'll be blasted before you could even take off! WAAK!_

_Gwarsh Sora, I don't know whether you should pilot a Gummi Ship, the last time you do that we nearly crashed into a meteor, Uh-hyuk!_

"Sora!" He tore his sight from the beautiful sunset and turned to see Kairi waving at him, the ever-so-angelic smile soothing his heart as she ran towards his direction. Patting the grain of sands of his clothes, he stood up and readied himself, grinning for a warm embrace.

* * *

(In Destiny Island Mega Mall)

"Kairi, would you mind taking this load of stuff by yourself?"

"No. It's too heavy."

"Since you knew that so well, why don't you spare that arm of yours and take some of this burden? It's your stuff!"

"Riku…"

"Okay Okay! Sora's birthday! Right GROAN" Upon hearing Riku's outburst Kairi smiled inwardly as she continued her massacre of items in the mall whom she claimed to be Sora's present. In truth, she wasn't that far-fetched, for half of the now one-storey high of wrapped presents was meant for Sora when his birthday comes (Riku's money of course). And the other half? Well, not really worth mentioning, but of course they are girl's stuff… her stuff…

"AGH! What's this thing covering my eyes! I can't see anything at all! It's so dark!"

"It's just a bra covering your eyes, stop the whining and STOP SHAKING! So I could throw it back up."

"Oh, I feel so sick… I'm definitely getting Sora for this…"

Two hours later, (By now it's three-storeys high) Kairi finally decided that enough is enough and stopped by the food court. She felt totally exhausted and charged up a massive appetite despite Riku was the one looking as if he hadn't been sleeping for three weeks. Panting like a dog, he set the almost unbearable load off his sore arms and immediately slipped away to satisfy his stomach, completely ignoring Kairi's outburst of protest for putting her stuff on the ground. Still, she decided that she would let it go and eat herself full before spanking him. After all, the ravaneous look on Riku has created an aura of hunger as everyone within ten metres around him started to feel hungry again, and Kairi is one of them. But before that, she needed to use the bathroom.

"Riku! Take care of the bags okay? I'm going to the bathroom!"

"gobble gobble gobble"

Rolling her eyes, Kairi left Riku to savage his food and hopped away, whistling all along the path. It was clear that she was in love for that dreamy look on her face gave away anything. As she washed her face she stared intently into the mirror. There, a cute red hair girl that had won everyone's heart in Destiny Island for her beauty and innocence. But only one person had claimed hers. The spiky hair boy that has won the world its peace, more friends that he could ever imagined and one more thing that he treasured the most.

Her heart.

_Oh Sora,_ she sighed, _I love you so much, as you I. We both knew it, but why couldn't we just say it?_ Ever since that day when the three of them are finally reunited, Sora has been quiet, very very quiet. He had avoided meetings, often sat alone on the beach for hours and acting very strangely. But she was sure that it was only temporary. Soon, Sora will turn back into that old cheerful self again. She turned her back against the mirror and began to walk towards outside, wishing out loud, "I do hope that the birthday party would bridge that small chasm between us, forever."

"_Now now, dear, I certainly don't think that that, is possible_." Stunned by the voice behind her, Kairi immediately jumped forward and turned around. What she saw shocked her to the very core of her heart. A perfect replicate of herself has just stepped out of the mirror and staring coldly at her. The evil smile never vanished when Kairi was blasted full on the face by Dark energy as she slumped onto the floor, more dead than alive. Her vision began to turn black.

* * *

Even though Riku was completely oblivious to his surroundings when he was eating, he began to feel worried for Kairi. It has been a full thirty minutes since she had went into the bathroom. Considering that girls always took time to 'decorate' themselves especially when they're alone, he had allowed his logic to drive away natural instinct. But something was terribly wrong. He suddenly remembered that Kairi had never bothered to do any make-up of her own until today; she was just beginning to learn so and that's why she had bought so much stuff. His heart began to felt with dread as he stood up and ran towards the girl's bathroom. That dread was strangely familiar… No! It felt like Darkness! Riku ignored the startled crowd around him as he brought up his Keyblade and charged into the bathroom. "KAIRI! Are you –"

"What on earth are you doing Riku? Get out of here AT ONCE!" There she was, holding a lipstick to her face as she tried to cover her tattered face. Riku was rocked completely off his feet. Kairi's face was a disaster: She had red marks all over her cheeks and nose as she tried futilely to wiped them off and kick Riku in the hide at the same time. After a crazy minute of laughter, Riku finally got up to his feet and struggled to speak, "Well Kairi… Ahahahaha I'll leave you Ugh! To yourself and be sure to be quick okay?" he began to turn away.

A bloody dark claw stuck out of his chest. Riku's eyes widened as he began to feel the beginnings of a blackout. Before pain took him into oblivion, he heard a terrible voice that is Kairi's chuckling coldly behind his head, "_Be happy that I was merciful, for you were once one of us_."

The Kairi Replica pulled out her claw and left Riku sprawled all over the floor. There was no blood, but the gaping hole where it had struck began to blacken. Soon Darkness will took over his body and disintegrate it into nothingness. A portal of Darkness opened to lead her to the beach of Destiny Island.

* * *

"Sora!" Kairi Replica waved her hands towards Sora as she ran towards him. Sora was smiling like the sun as he opened his arms, expecting an embrace.

She smiled.


	2. Part Two

An Epic Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game (Part 2)

An Epic Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game (Part 2)

Kairi woke up from her sleep, feeling as if she had just been through a war for her entire body felt sore and exhausted. Shuffling her red hair, she looked around, feeling utterly confused by the scenery around her. One thing for sure, she was nowhere near her bedroom, or her house, or the mall… _the mall!_

_"What in the blazes is going on??" _Immediately she hopped to her feet, trembling with fear when the memories finally returned. She was attacked by her other self that came through a mirror, and she remembered blacking out after the Dark energy blasted her off her feet. And then… what happened? Where is she anyway? Her surroundings were awfully familiar, yet something wasn't right. Everything was so… dark. How long has she been unconscious, anyway? Frantically Kairi scouted around with her hands flailing wildly, trying to make sense with a clouded brain. It took her a full minute before she finally registered that she was at the Destiny Island beach. But how exactly did she get here? Why wasn't she killed, confined, or whatever, so that she couldn't call for help? Instead she was left around here where Sora could be easily found sulking nearby… And speaking of Sora, that guy sitting over there looks exactly like…

"SORA!" Nothing else could've sparkled such a wild joy than to see Sora at this critical moment. Kairi ran towards Sora with such incredible speed that she was panting heavily when she finally reached him. Kairi looked up, but strangely Sora wasn't showing any reactions. He just sat there, staring into the ocean, even though it's so pitch black around here that nothing could be seen…

"Sora! Am I glad to see you! There's a… Hey, why aren't you answering me? It's a very rude thing to do you know!… Sora?" With every second passing by Kairi was getting more and more anxious. Her words started to slow down and finally, came to a complete stop. Beside her, Sora finally stirred and looked at Kairi. Suddenly…

"WOW!" Both of them fell backwards at the unexpected exclamation. Without delay, Sora yelled out loudly, "Kairi! Stop freaking me out like that! That's the last time you ever do that okay?" Completely caught off guard, Kairi somehow managed a bit of self-control and bit back playfully, "No, YOU stop ignoring me like that or else you'll have to live through this with me, forever! Is that understood?"

Silence reigned. Sora looked so stunned and surprised that it took Kairi a few seconds to realize what she has just revealed. Her cheeks were rose red to boiling point as she frantically tried to hide her embarrassment with everything, "No! I mean… I mean that we… I was just joking! I…"

"Oh… you're just… joking…" Sadness swept across Sora's face as he diverted his gaze towards the ocean once again. His voice came low and monotonous, "I should've known it from the beginning… But I did, it's just that I didn't want to admit it… After all that we've been through, after everything that I've done… you never truly liked me…" And with that, he ran away.

If there was anything more than the face of death that could stun Kairi, it was this. Not even the initial shock of facing a killer with her body could've sent more electrical impulses down her heart and soul. Before she knew what she was doing, she was running faster than before, towards the one she had loved so much, "Sora! Don't go! Please! _Please! I… I love you as well!" _Sora came to an abrupt stop, causing Kairi to ram directly into him, but nothing else mattered. Her arms wrapped around his waist tightly, "I've always loved you, from the first time we met, but I just couldn't say it… I never thought I'd hear this from you, _you_, you evil, terrible spiky haired idiot –"

"Say no more, Kairi. Say no more." Sora gently unfolded her arms and turned around. His blue eyes were shining with wild happiness and love as she stared directly at her cute, innocent face. His lips parted a little, and slowly he spoke with a voice like never before, "If that is so, Kairi, then – then let me fill myself with you… I love you too." His strong arms began to wrap around her shoulders, slowly and gently pulling Kairi into his embrace and towards his lips. Such feelings were something that Kairi had never felt before: Bewilderment, happiness, anticipation? But she could no longer resist. As do he. Slowly she closed her eyes, her lip parted slightly as she allowed herself to rapidly close the distance between them, to give herself to him…

* * *

It was the terrible pain on his chest that woke Riku up from his sleep. How long has it been, seconds, minutes, hours? It matters not. Kairi is in danger, and Sora as well. That boy would never be able to differentiate true and false for even he had fail to notice the existence of that Kairi Replica. _Her Dark powers are so powerful… Argh… But I must get to the beach… before Sora falls into her trap…_ he had no answer why he hadn't died on the spot, although he suspects that his familiarity to Darkness before might have something to do with it. But what matters now is his survival, Sora's and Kairi's. If he cannot reach there quick enough…

He dared not even think about that.

Despite being a lazy person, Sora has never failed to notice Kairi's every movement. As Riku never failed to notice his notice towards Kairi (Suddenly, the memories of being blackmailed by Riku for uncountable times flashed through). And today, something was definitely wrong with Kairi. Even though he noted that she was exactly like before, he could feel it deep within his heart. There was a difference. But what exactly?

"Oof!" Kairi charged into his stomach so hard that he was flung backwards, and both of them fell to the ground. Sora's face reddened when he realized that Kairi was directly on top of him, completely oblivious to the fact that he was feeling two soft lumps on his chest and that his heart quickened to the point a heart attack is about to occur…

"Sora?" A pair of round, crystal blue eyes stared at his.

"Hmm?"

"I love you." And she clung onto him and kissed.

The first thing Sora felt was instant blackout. The next however, was her soft lips slowly coursing on his mouth so gently that he might have just flew to heaven by then. Completely stunned by her reaction, he felt his hands began to move involuntarily towards Kairi's back and hugged her as he kissed back with the same burning passion that has been hidden beneath him for so long. _How long_, he thought with an edge of mad happiness, _have I've wanted this. This pair of lips…_ He was so mesmerized that he never noticed a Dark claw began to morph and poised in a striking position. A few more seconds, and all would be over…

"SORA! RUN!" Riku had been running so fast that everyone around him only so a blur of line racing towards the direction of the beach. But he knew he wasn't quick enough. For the first time in his life, he wished that the power of Darkness was open to him so he could open a Dark portal and immediately find Sora, not running for a full five miles so he could rescue his friends. And surely enough, he was too late. By the time he had reached the beach, Kairi Replica was ready to put that wicked claw of hers through Sora's body and rip him apart. He shouted out with all his might.

Sora heard Riku's voice loud and clear, but that doesn't make sense. Why on earth would Riku screamed for him to run away, especially when… Suddenly, he realized something. The Kingdom Key shone into his palm and knocked Kairi off him just before she thrust her claw, aiming for his chest. She howled in pain as the blow caught her full in the side, but what had angered her more is that Sora had escaped! When she looked up again, she saw him blazing with fury as he brought his weapon up to a fighting stance. Riku ran towards his side and spoke with uncontrolled anger, "She's got Kairi. We must get to Kairi before it's too late." Sora nodded and charged towards Kairi Replica with speed rivaling the lightning. His weapon his poised to thrust her heart. But before he could do so, Kairi Replica smiled and whispered a few words so soft that none could hear except him.

The Keyblade stopped at mid-air, and that was all Kairi Replica needed to slam Sora backwards with her now gigantic claw. The Keyblade Master grimaced in pain, but his fear completely overwhelmed the pain on his arms. Riku was momentarily confused by Sora's hesitance, yelling loudly, "Why did you stop? We must defeat her now!"

"We can't."

"What? Why?"

"Anything we do to her… Kairi will feel it too."


	3. Part Three: The Finale

An Epic Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game Final Part

An Epic Kingdom Hearts Short Story: The Mirror Game Final Part

Immense pain suddenly woke Kairi from her trance. Pain that shot up her right arm suddenly that she pushed Sora away mightily and nearly wept. One look at her right arm shot her with horror as there was a deep gash along her arm. Blood flowed profusely down her arm as she tried to stem the flow of blood but she had nothing at all. Still in pain, she looked up and asked urgently, "Sora, quick, something's strange is going on. My right arm… NO!" But no longer he was the Sora she knew. His face was so twisted by rage and evil that even a werewolf looked less intimidating. She tried to stand up and run, but she was too late. Her hand was caught in mid air and pulled back roughly into his arms. He exclaimed loudly with red eyes glinting, "Now, my beloved little princess, where exactly do you think you're going to?"

It was only then Kairi remembered what had happened before, and suddenly all the strange things around her made sense. That witch must have thrown her into their world, the mirror, and that's why everything here is so horrible. And this is not Sora but his other self in this world!

"NO!!" All the sudden, her Keyblade came to her palm and she stabbed the monster between the ribs. At first there was silence, which erupted into an evil and anguish howl that resounded throughout the cold, dark night, and finally it was gone. Vanished just like that. What's left was the light gave off by her Keyblade, and her fear-stricken, crying self.

She can no longer bear the pain in her heart. She was sick of being played like this over and over. She felt so weak, so vulnerable, so _helpless_. She can never trust anyone in this world, and worse, she had no idea how to return.

_I might never see them again. Forever._

So great were her pain and fear and sadness that she failed to notice the monsters creeping up from behind her.

* * *

Sora and Riku had never felt so desperate and frustrated in their lives. How could you ever win a fight where the enemy cannot be harmed at all? Especially when the enemy has a freaking gigantic claw that grew from its chest striking like lightning. Worse still, the gash on Kairi's Replica right arm was incredibly huge, which Sora had placed when he knocked her off his body. If what that monster said was true, then they have just hurt Kairi really badly, for it seemed to them that the blood would flow endlessly until she dies. The Kairi Replica must be stopped and forced to divulge Kairi's location before everything is too late.

_But what should we do??_ Sora nearly cried out is desperation. This was a hopeless situation. As the battle prolongs, both warriors began to feel tired for they had moved non-stop since the beginning of the fight. Clearly their enemy does not feel the same, for her speed and agility just grew and grew. _Hellfire!_ Sora thought furiously, _her strength seemed to be increasing as well!_ That split-second thought nearly cost him his life. Kairi Replica suddenly vanished from sight and slashed from Sora's back, forcing him to dodge roll the attack and leaped away, inches to spare. Sora charged in again, trying to buy time for Riku to figure out a strategy as they had planned before. He blocked every single blow the monster threw towards him with deadly accuracy, yet it was a shame he cannot use that skill to kill this evil being. Weaving through a net of slashes, he feinted a cut and slammed his Keyblade hard into the opponent's claw, forcing both person to flew backwards.

Sora worked his mouth as quickly as he dodged the furious swipes of his opponents, "Riku! Come up with a plan already! I can't hold her for long! In fact – ARGH!" This time it was his turn to suffer a deep gash on his right arm, and worse, the wounds seemed to blacken and rotting. The pain was so huge and sudden that Sora's concentration slipped for a second.

Kairi Replica wasted no time and the gigantic claw crushed Sora full on the head mightily. On the ground he was and nearly unconscious, but still he struggled to stand up. Kairi Replica laughed wickedly at his attempts, "There is no way you could've defeated me, even if you manage to take that blow. Do you not realize I am getting stronger with each moment? I suppose I owe a thanks to your girlfriend Kairi, it was her despair and fear that empowered me even more…" And she brought her claw down again, this time intending to end everything once and for all.

Riku charged in and blocked the massive strike. A loud blast of energy resonated along the coast as Riku struggled to keep his feet standing. His arms were shaking like a withering leaf as the pressure increased gradually. The old hopelessness and despair whenever he caught up with Darkness rose again. It was almost as if he will die, but this time for real. _How much more could I take? Will this ever end?_ His strength slowly failed him, and gradually he was forced to his knees, with Kairi Replica laughing at her triumph over the two Keyblade Masters.

It was then the flash of brilliance crossed his mind. Could it be that simple? Could it be? But there was no time to test his theory. He pushed with every bit of strength he got and shoved the claw away. Kairi Replica's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't care anyway. She began to swing her claw faster than ever and attacked relentlessly. Darting around with lightning agility, Riku swerved past her guard and struck her chest with everything he got. The force was so huge that she was propelled ten feet away, howling in pain.

Clearly he had hurt the monster, but more importantly is that there was no blood. Riku smiled. Immediately he shouted, "Sora! Her chest! The origin of that claw! The only thing that doesn't belong to Kairi! Destroy it and we destroy her!" Without waiting for Sora to reply, he darted forwards to attack.

Sora climbed up to his feet slowly, "So, the chest huh? Finally…" Kingdom Key began to lit like a lantern as Sora began to gather his power. The pure energy was so massive and powerful that Kairi Replica, a master of fear and Darkness, began to feel fear itself. But she will not lose this battle! She to began to gather up her powers up to her claw, intending to end the battle once and for all with her final attack. The claw grew five times larger then it was before and radiated with Dark energy. Riku leapt aside, gazing intently at Kairi Replica as he brought his The Way To Dawn to his waist and waited. Soon, three massive forces began to radiate powerfully along the coast of Destiny Island's beach.

Three pairs of feet left the ground.

But only two landed. There was a bright flash where Riku and Sora slashed a perfect X on Kairi's Replica chest, and she was destroyed into nothingness. Before she disappeared, she screamed with a hint of laughter, "_You will never make it in time to save her! NEVER!…"_

Two boys with their faces looking as if the end of the world held their Keyblades tightly as ever. Even though they have defeated their enemy, they still didn't know how to save Kairi. More importantly, where is she?

Sora began to asked slowly, "Where and when exactly did this happen? Maybe we could find a lead…"

Riku answered with a hint of regret, "Well… we were at the mall, buying stuff, you know, yours and hers. Then she went to the toilet for too long and I ran to see if everything's okay… erm… apparently it was not because once I turned away she gave me this thrust on my chest, it was a darn miracle I'm still alive…"

Sora began to ponder on Riku's words. The toilet? Certainly he had not expected it, but he had been flushed down a tree before, so it wasn't a big surprise, but still…

"You think she might be in the bowels?"

"Not funny at all. Think of something more realistic."

"The mirror then?"

"Hmm… Yeah. That sounds more likely. So, anyway we could enter this Mirror world?"

"No, none that I know of."

"Man you're useless Sora." And the two of them began to sat beside the beach, thinking of a way to save Kairi.

* * *

A hand grabbed her from behind. Then another. Then even more. It was like a zombie movie, except that this was for real. Tidus and Wakka, Selphie and Riku, and a whole bunch of people she'd never seen before, but all wore the same facial expression: Twisted anger and evil. Screaming like no tomorrow, Kairi swung her Keyblade wildly and managed to broke free from the horrifying monsters. Running madly along the beach, no longer she cold feel any sort of human sense. There was only madness, the madness of the world. It was utterly hopeless. What was she thinking, of escaping this wasteland of horror? She was alone. There was no one except herself. She was alone, and nothing is going to change that, forever.

_Kairi._

"Huh?" Kairi continued to run.

_Kairi._

"Who's that? It's not funny at all! Come out now or I'll shred you to bits!" This time she stopped, her eyes flicking back and forth, trying to detect the voice's origin. She completely ignored the monsters surrounding her, for she feared the unknown more than them. They began to closed in.

_Remember your true self. Remember your heart. Remember that you are never alone. No matter how far apart, no matter what stands between, your hearts will always be connected. Even though Darkness could engulf everything, but they could never take away what you treasured most._

_They are always with you, Kairi. Always._

And it was gone, like the whispers of the silent winds.

It took a while before Kairi realized, that the voice was right. No matter how desperate and hopeless, no matter how grief and sad, there is always two boys backing her up. A warm smile sprang to her lips.

Riku, and Sora.

Her body began to glow with Light, forcing all wretched to run in anguish and horror, to escape her Light. A single Door began emerged in front of her, and she stepped towards it.

And to Sora and Riku's arms.

* * *

"Hey Sora, do you think I should call upon the power of Darkness again, it might –"

"Don't even think about that again, Riku, we'll think of a way, somehow." With each minute passed, both heroes began to feel more and more anxious an afraid. Neither of them could think of a way to save Kairi, even though they had been sitting there for nearly an hour. The sun was almost gone, the last flare of the light slowly sinked into the ocean. Soon, it will be night. Suddenly, Sora remembered something.

"Riku, do you remembered what that monster said? She said that we won't be able to save her in time… What do you think that means?" Suddenly, dread filled the both of them.

"Could it be that… time's running out? But… when exactly? Dammit!" Riku swung his fist in anger and stepped furiously on a rock. Both knew that if anything bad happened to Kairi, they would never be able to live as usual again. Or live. This time, brilliance struck Sora.

"Hey… do you think I can open the Door to Light? Then we might link it to the Mirror World so we could go and save her! Yes!" Sora snapped his fingers and jumped wildly, but Riku wasn't so sure.

"But… how do you know where's this, Mirror World? We don't even know if she's there! It might really be in the bowels of a toilet you know."

"Okay okay! But how do you do it?" Riku gave in when he saw the urgency on Sora's face. Sora simply said, "I follow my heart."

Sora stretched out his hands and shut his eyes. In his mind he reminded himself of how much Kairi meant to him, and how much he meant to her. Constantly replaying her face and smile and laughter on his head, he felt a sudden warmth in his heart. That feeling grew stronger and stronger and finally, he let it go and opened his eyes.

Abruptly, the Door to Light opened, and a familiar figure that he had loved so much stepped in, and all three embraced each other and broke down to tears.

* * *

Two days after the incident, the day everyone awaited has finally arrived. It was Sora's birthday. Everyone on Destiny Island had come to his house to greet him well and play. Of course, Sora would never be so popular in his life if it wasn't for Tidus and Wakka taping down every single bit of action down when they stumbled across the battle. Once it was released, Sora and Riku became instantly hero and suddenly everyone wants to know them. It would've been a truly pleasant experience for Sora if…

"_NONONONONO! _What on earth are you guys doing in my bedroom? Do not open my wardrobe! The second floor is going to fall! Get down immediately! _NOW!_" Sora tried with all his might to force the huge crowd of people downstairs so he could have some privacy and change his clothes and save the second floor of his house from total demolition. To Sora, this was disastrous. All the so-called peace and harmony were completely washed away into the ocean and no return. Silently he swore that he will repay his burning vengeance to the ones who are responsible, and of course they are –

"Tidus Wakka Super Duper Jump Of Death, ATTACK!"

"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Turns out that this birthday is not going to be as pleasant as he thought. The only comfort was Kairi, sitting next to Riku, staring silently at him with an angelic smile.

* * *

"Finally huh?"

"Yeah."

It was midnight. After two hours of persuading and brute force, Sora and Riku managed to drive away the mad crowd out of his home and enjoy some rare quality of peace. After winking an eye at Sora, Riku slipped away before Sora could call out to him and beg him to stay. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy Kairi's company, it's the fact he enjoyed is so much that he feared he might do something stupid. And now, the two of them stood side by side on the balcony, staring into the sky. The white round moon hung upon it, looking ever so beautiful.

Kairi turned her head towards Sora, "Sora, do you know what saved me that day? The day I nearly broke down and lose all hope?" Sora looked up, surprised, "Why, isn't it that voice you told me? And from the way you described it, it must be –"

"I know. Namine. I owe her everything. But I also mean someone else." Kairi smiled sweetly, "You." Sora felt his cheeks burned like fire.

"Well, I – I – Riku helped too you know! I'm just –" Kairi gave an exasperated sigh and for the first time in her life, spoke out the truth that she had kept so long within the depths of her heart.

"I know that, Sora. Both of you are the reason I was saved. But… it was your heart that had pulled me out of the Darkness. If it wasn't for you, I would've gave up, no matter what Namine had said. I… I love you Sora. And… That's all…" Blushing furiously, she hid her face with her palm and walked away.

"Wait, Kairi! Please!" Sora grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Her face was still hidden, but Sora didn't care anymore. If Kairi could do it, so could he.

"I… I love you too, Kairi." Slowly removing her hands from her face, he planted a soft kiss on her cheek and looked at her passionately. She was smiling so happily that she could've been a real angel. Slowly but surely, she held her face up, eyes close, ready for a real kiss this time. Suddenly, Sora grew mischievous.

"Well, for all I know, you might be a fake Kairi. Who knows whether a claw or two will puncture me on the chest again?" Kairi's eyes fluttered open. Turning her head aside, she replied with a little pout on her face, "Then I don't know why I bother to confess anyway. You know what? That's the only kiss you're going to get for the rest of your life." Sora's smile grew wider, "Well, there is a way to check it out, to prove that you'll as real as you claim."

"What way?"

"You see, that fake Kairi has a huge claw that grew out from her chest, so I think I might just check it out and see whether there's a claw – OW OW OW OW OW! I'm just kidding! Oof! Not the face! _Not the face!!_" Sora tried as hard as he could to avoid punches and scratches that came as fast as a furious little wild cat, but Kairi wasn't going to let him escape this easily. She stooped down and tripped him off his feet, causing Sora to fall painfully on his back. Kairi's head came into view.

"So, pervert, what more do you expect?" Hands on her hips, Kairi stared down at him with a beautiful yet playful smile on her face.

"This." He held her close and kissed her full on the lips, and the world finally became whole.


End file.
